At
FoodPower, we've been following the amazing journey by restaurateur Danny Meyer. Over the past 25 years, he has opened 28 restaurants and -- believe it or not, given the cutthroat nature of the NY restaurant scene -- he has only closed one. If you look at the major New York top restaurant lists, his restaurants Union Square Cafe, Eleven Madison Park, and Gramercy Tavern are consistently at the top! In fact, Eleven Madison (which he has since sold), is one of the five restaurants in the city to get a Michelin 3-star rating and is one of only six to get a four-star rating from The New York Times.

But what we want to focus on in this newsletter is his
Shake Shack burger stand concept, which, in only a few short years, has become a national and international brand, with locations in NYC, Miami, Washington D.C., Connecticut, London, Kuwait, and Dubai...

We are obsessed with this concept - and we aren't alone -- there's even a Shake Shack app that lets you watch live video feed of the line so you can plan your burger binge based on how long it is!

Shhh... HERE ARE THE SECRETS OF THE SHAKE SHACK'S SUCCESS

CHARITY MATTERS

It has been seen time and time again: a restaurant's fan base grows exponentially when the business is active and generous to the community.

Shake Shack is heavily involved in community outreach, and each location works with local causes, but the story we love is that of Danny Meyer's work with the Madison Square Park Conservancy - before Shake Shack was born. He built a food cart to help raise funds to help restore the park. For three summers, it was a success and a portion of the proceeds generously went to the conservancy. Not everyone realizes how generous restaurants can gain the support of a community, and as a result, gain an extraordinary fan base.

After a few years, a permit was given to him by the City of NY for a permanent kiosk in the park. The cart became a restaurant and the Shake Shack was born! As they say, "the rest is modern burger history."

A little charity goes a long way - from cart to an international chain... in just 12 years!

SIMPLE, FOCUSED & FABULOUS FOOD

Shake Shack is a modern-day roadside burger stand that serves high quality versions of the classics. The equation makes sense: better ingredients and freshly prepared foods lead to flavors that pop!

Shake Shack utilizes the best products and processes. The burger is made from fresh Angus beef - a blend of short rib, brisket, and sirloin. The patty is extra thick but is smashed on a hot grill to form a crust and served on a potato bun. The Shack Sauce is a blend of ketchup and mayo with a proprietary blend of pickle juice and spices with tomato, lettuce, and American cheese. Of course, you can have it your way... a Shroom Burger or a Shack Stack. Guests began to request fresh-cut fries, they listened and changed from serving fat crinkle cuts to thin fresh fries, installing a water bath system that removes the excess starch. Recently, they removed corn syrup from all products. According to Meyer, "the Shack Shake is always working to stand for something good!"

UNIQUE, FAST AND FUN

I scream, you scream, we all scream for... rich frozen custard - like they have in the midwest - better known as Concrete. I visited the well-known Ted Drewes last year with friends from the Les Dames d'Escoffier's Annual Convention in St. Louis, and we drove out specifically to taste the Concrete Custard that was so thick that the spoon and custard stays when turned upside down. Meyer grew up in the midwest dining on Concretes so it was a natural for him to bring the product to NY and take it to the next level.

The "Standing Order" at the Shack Shake is the best: vanilla custard with fresh strawberries and orange poppy seed caramel. YUM.

SERVICE & HOSPITALITY

Danny writes, "Understanding the distinction between service and hospitality has been the foundation of our success. Service is the technical delivery of a product. Hospitality is how the delivery of theproduct makes its recipient feel. Service is a monologue - we decide how we want to do things and set our own standards for service. Hospitality, on the other hand, is a dialogue. To be on a guest's side requires listening to that person with every sense, and following up with a thoughtful, gracious, appropriate response. It takes both great service and great hospitality to rise to the top.

He also writes about the Virtuous Cycle of Enlightened Hospitality... "There are 5 stakeholders to whom we express our most caring hospitality and prioritizing those is the guiding principal for our decisions and the secret to our success."

We are always grateful for all the wonderful clients, who are also our friends, that FoodPower has been able to work with hand-in-hand. It's great to see that our clients continue to grow long after we have left. You can always follow their growth on our FoodPower Facebook page
HERE!

If you're not performing up to your potential, call us, we may be able to help. While it may not seem obvious to you, there are many factors that can directly relate to profitability and growth. In most instances, these elements are clear to the objective, experienced eye, but nearly impossible to see for the owner/operator who sees them eight days a week.

We at FoodPower can help you find your profit centers, quickly and objectively, so you can maximize your strengths. What's more, we can coach you as to how to sort out your specific issues in a way that brings your costs down and your profit up!We are talking about TRUE, QUANTIFIABLE CHANGE that captures your profits and minimizes your losses. Our rates are surprisingly affordable and, with the vast majority of our clients, we pay for our services many times over.

We are ready at FoodPower to go the extra mile
and inspire you do the same!

The Buzz... Shake Shack at City Field in New York serves 3,000+ Mets fans every game! The wait? It's often two innings! Plan ahead!

Where it all began... The very first Shake Shack opened in Madison Square Park of the original Madison Square Garden!

Making a B-Line... because Shake Shack is the home of the line, they've come up with an "express option" to avoid losing a guest by selling them something, rather than nothing... of course, they always come back to endure the line!

Way finding... these clearly marked stanchions tell people where to stand and what to do. For a restaurateur, clarity is vital; confusion can be costly.

REQUIRED READING FOR ANYBODY IN THE RESTAURANT BIZ

Setting the Table - The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business

by Danny Meyer

This is the book that inspired me to visit NY, check out many of his restaurants and write this newsletter - not to mention join my pals from Cornell and enjoy a fantastic sailing trip with the Allen's from Rhode Island to Long Island.

When Danny autographed my book he wrote, "Here's to the POWER of HOSPITALITY!" His book explains, in an instructive how-we-did-it account what worked and what didn't in an insightful way for entrepreneurs in any industry.

In addition, my like-minded buddy Bill Marvin speaks the same language in his new book How to Become the Restaurant of Choice - A fresh look at Service, Hospitality and the Bottom Line.

Sometimes I think we consultants who are entreprenual restaurant fanatics are so often on the same page.

We love restaurants and want everybody to share our passion!

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Established in 1982, Orange County-based FoodPower is a restaurant consulting firm that coaches industry leaders to leverage their strengths. By working hand-in-hand with restaurant management and staff, FoodPower can help create concepts, refine menus, and identify opportunities to increase food sales and capitalize on the changes in today’s dining out patterns to strengthen brands.